Transient voltage protector

ABSTRACT

A transient voltage protector is provided for telephone lines and the like. An insulating plastic housing is provided with two pairs of terminals having female connections at the lower ends for association with selected terminals of a telephone terminal block. The upper ends of these terminals are of a male type and extend above the top of the housing for receipt of further elements such as bridging clips, plug-on fuse units, or line status indicators. An offset and raised portion of the housing carries a pair of zener diodes having lower wire terminals connected to two of the aforesaid terminals. The upper wire terminals of the zener diodes are connected to a grounding terminal having an upper portion extending above the housing in the form of two spaced tines for receipt of a common ground wire between the tines. The various terminals and the zener diodes and the housing have complementary structure for positioning of the terminals and the diodes within the housing.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Telephone circuits operate on relatively low voltages. Such circuits aresometimes exposed to transient voltages of considerably higher levelsthan the normal operating voltages. This may be effected by a lightningstrike, by momentary contact with a high voltage line, or by othercauses. Therefore, it is desirable to provide means for protecting lowvoltage telephone circuits against such high transient voltages.

It is known to provide plug-in structures for use with telephoneterminal blocks to provide connection thereto, including electricalcomponents for protecting against high transient voltages, see forexample U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,113,340, 4,116,524 and 4,126,369.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is generally the object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved transient voltage protector.

More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide atransient voltage protector having a two-piece interfitting housingproviding structure for receiving four contact terminals, a groundingterminal, and a pair of limiting devices.

In attaining the foregoing and other objects of the present inventionthere is provided a two-piece housing which telescopes in part. Cavitiesare provided in the main or male portion of the housing for receivingfour identical metal terminals positioned so as to engage two verticallyadjacent and two horizontally adjacent terminals of a split 66-Mterminal block in common use in telephone and other electronicapplications. Aligned cavities are provided in the secondary or femaleportion of the housing for receiving portions of the aforesaid metalterminals with the ends thereof extending outwardly from the housing forconnection to other devices, such as bridging clips, plug-on fuse unitsor line status indicators. A raised side portion of the male housingportion is provided with partially cylindrical cavities for receipt ofupstanding zener type diodes having wire contacts received in two of thefour metal terminals, and having their other wire contacts received in agrounding terminal. A box-like portion of the female housing parttelescopes with the partially cylindrical sections housing the zenerdiodes. This telescoping of the parts of the housing brings about arather effective assembly of the parts which is subsequently augmentedby sonic welding of two housing parts into a single unit.

THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will best be understood from the followingdescription when taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a transient voltage protectorconstructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the male housing portion;

FIG. 3 is a front view thereof;

FIG. 4 is a top view thereof;

FIG. 5 is an end view thereof;

FIG. 6 is a view partially in section taken along the line 6--6 in FIG.2;

FIG. 7 is a view partially in section taken along the line 7--7 in FIG.2;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the female or cap housing portion;

FIG. 9 is a top view thereof;

FIG. 10 is a bottom view thereof;

FIG. 11 is a view partially in section taken along the line 11--11 inFIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a detail sectional view of the energy dirctor as taken alongthe line 12--12 in FIG. 10, f.i.;

FIG. 13 is an end view of the transient voltage protector of the presentinvention;

FIG. 14 is a front view thereof;

FIG. 15 is a top view thereof;

FIG. 16 is a side view of one of the blade terminals forming a part ofthe present invention;

FIG. 17 is a front view thereof;

FIG. 18 is an end view thereof;

FIG. 19 is a top view of the grounding terminal forming a part of thepresent invention;

FIG. 20 is a front view thereof; and

FIG. 21 is an end view thereof.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT

The general arrangement of the present invention may be seen withreference to FIG. 1 wherein there is seen a simplified version of a 66-Mterminal block 30 having four pairs of upstanding blade terminals 32thereon. The transient voltage protector of the present invention isidentified generally by the numeral 34 and is intended for physical andelectrical association with four of the contacts 32, for example, thefour central contacts. The transient voltage protector 34 includes aplastic housing 36 of suitable material such as clear Lexan and is madeof two parts which partially telescope and which are sonically weldedtogether as will be apparent hereinafter. The housing includes aterminal portion 38 and a grounding portion 40. The terminal portion 38houses four sheet metal terminals 42 of novel and identicalconstruction. The grounding portion 40 houses a pair of zener diodes 44,for example those sold by General Semiconductor as TRANSZORB 1.5 KE27C.A lower lead 46 of each zener diode is formed to fit around and throughhousing portions and into association with the two adjacent terminals 42in a manner hereinafter to be described. The upstanding zener diodeterminals 48 are trimmed short and interfit with a top or groundingcontact 50 having a spaced pair of tines 52 upstanding through the topof the housing grounding portion 40 and adapted to receive snuglybetween them a common ground wire 54.

The housing 36 is further shown in FIGS. 2-15, and in particular thereis shown a base or male portion 56 in FIGS. 2-7, and also in FIGS.13-15. The base or male portion 56 includes a depending portion which isrectangular in front elevation, in side elevation, and from the top.This depending portion 58 is provided with four vertical cavities 60respectively for receipt of the terminals 42. Slots 62 of reduceddimension communicate with the bottom ends of the cavities 60 throughthe bottom of the depending base portion 58 for receipt of the blockterminals 32 for cooperation with the sheet metal terminals 42. Thecavities 62 are of rectangular outline, the long sides of adjacentcavities being spaced by walls 64 and the short sides being spaced bythicker walls 66.

The depending base portion is provided with a flat upper surface 68which continues on to an upstanding support portion 70. The upstandingsupport portion 70 includes a horizontal floor 72 which provides acontinuation of the surface 68. A pair of spaced, depending flanges 74extend from end to end of the floor on the underside thereof.

The upstanding support portion 70 includes an upright block 76 which isrectangular in front elevation and from the end. Block 76 includes aflat front wall 78 and a recess 80 to the right thereof. The recess iscylindrical and comprises somewhat more than a semicylinder, having anarcuate forwardly projecting extension 82 and a flat end wall 84. Acylindrical recess 80 is provided with a substantially semi-circularfloor 86 on which one of the zener diodes 44 rests, the floor beingcentrally relieved at 88 to accommodate the lead 46 on the under end ofthe respective zener diode 44. As will be seen, the center line 90 ofthe cylindrical recess 80 is offset forwardly from the center line 92 ofthe base or male portion 56. There is a rear wall 94 behind the recess80 which is set back or relieved at 96 to present a relatively thinsection for molding while retaining the position of the wall 94 forengagement with a further housing portion to be discussed shortlyhereinafter.

Offset to the left from the recess 80 there is a rearwardly facingcylindrical recess 98 extending over somewhat greater than asemi-cylinder. This cylinder receives the second zener diode 44, and isprovided with a semi-circular floor 100 centrally relieved at 102 sothat the floor may support the zener diode with the lead 46 projectingthrough the central relieved portion. The center line 104 of thecylindrical recess 98 is spaced rearwardly from the center line or plane92 previously referred to. The block 76 is completed by a flat left sidewall 106 as may be seen.

The housing 36 further includes a female or cap portion 108 seen indetail in FIGS. 8-12. The cap portion 108 includes an upstanding cover110 of rectangular configuration from all aspects and adapted to overlieand embrace the upstanding support portion 70. The cover includesvertical front and rear walls 112 of nearly square configuration, aright end wall 114 of the same height as the front and rear walls but oflesser width, and a left end wall 116 generally similar to the right endwall, but having a lower margin raised relative to the lower margin ofthe right end wall as will be apparent shortly hereinafter. The cover110 further has a horizontal top wall 118 with a slot 120 thereinproviding clearance for the tines 52. The cover 110 is open at thebottom thereof.

The female or cap portion 108 further includes a plateau portion 122lying to the left of the cover 110 and of lesser height. The plateauportion includes a top wall 124 joining the lower edge of the wall 116at right angles thereto. A peripheral wall surrounds the plateau portionon three sides, including front and rear walls 126 respectively coplanarwith the front and rear walls 112, and an end wall 128. The plateau isopen at the bottom, and four downwardly directed cavities 130 arerespectively aligned with the cavities 60 for receiving upper portionsof the terminals 42. A median wall 132 and a transverse wall 134separate the cavities, while a partition wall 136 lies between the coverportion 110 and plateau portion 122. The partition wall 136 is spacedfrom the front and rear walls 126 and depends from the wall 116 and thetop wall 124. Four slots 138 extend through the top wall 124 inrespective alignment with the cavities 130 to accommodate the topportions of the terminals 42. The bottom edges of all of the verticalwalls of the female or cap portion 108 lie in a common plane, and eachedge has a depending right angle bead or energy director 140 designed toabut the upper surface 68 of the base or male portion 56 to concentrateenergy in a sonic welding operation to join the female or cap portion108 to the base or male portion 56.

The terminals 42 all are identical and are shown in some detail in FIGS.13-15, one thereof being shown in full detail in FIGS. 16-18. Theterminals preferably are formed of phosphor-bronze and are soldertinned. Each terminal 42 comprises an integral sheet metal stamping andincludes a flat intermediate body portion 142 having a single narrow leg144 extending therefrom in coplanar relation and having an outwardlydeflected tip 146. Lying on either side of the leg 144 are two offsets148, each having a leg 150 thereon disposed parallel to but spaced fromthe plane of the leg 144. Each of the legs 150 then has an inwardlydirected portion 152 leading to a reversely curved or re-entrant portion154 having an outwardly deflected tip 156. Thus, one of the boxterminals 32 readily enters into the space between the outwardlydeflected tips 146 and 156 ultimately to lie between the leg 144 and thereversely curved or re-entrant portion 154 of the two legs 150.

At the opposite or upper edge of the flat body section 142 there is anoffset strip 158 lying adjacent one margin of the flat section 142. Awire mounting section 160 is coplanar with the legs 150 and extends fromthe end of the offset section 158. A wire mounting ear 162 extends fromone side of the wire mounting section and lies at right angles thereto.

The wire mounting ear 162 is of pentagonal outline, having a connectingedge 164 and an elongated rear edge 166 extending at right anglesthereto. An outer edge 168 is parallel to the edge 164 in spacedrelation thereto, being at right angles to the rear edge 166.

A wire engaging or gripping edge 170 extends from the attachment edge164 and forms an angle of approximately 100 degrees therewith i.e., anangle of 10 degrees with a transverse plane normal to the wire attachedsection 160. The edge 170 is spaced from the offset section 158 inconverging relation therewith, and extends substantially to the plane ofthe flat body section 142, being joined to the outer edge 168 byconverging edge 172. One of the zener diode leads 46 is gripped betweenthe offset section 158 and the converging edge 170 of the ear 162, lyingagainst the wire mounting section 160 as shown in FIG. 16. The angularedge 172 and the opposite round corner 174 joining the offset section158 and the flat section 142 aid in snapping the terminal wire 46 intoposition.

A full width offset section 176 leads from the far edge of the wiremounting section 160 back toward, but not completely to the plane of theflat section 142, there being a connecting section 178 extending fromthe upper end of the offset section 176 to a blade terminal 180 having arounded upper end 182. The blade terminal 180 is straight, but is curvedin a shallow curve 186 about its longitudinal center line 184. Thiscurvature provides for a tight, resilient engagement with bridgingclips, etc. secured to the upper end of the terminal.

It will be understood that the terminal 42 as just disclosed isefficient in the use of stock material. All of the various parts arestruck from within a rectangular outline. Even the right angularlydisposed wire mounting ear 162 is struck from the area that becomes theblank space to the side of the wire mounting section 160.

The grounding terminal 50 is shown generally in FIGS. 1, 15, and 16, andmore specifically in FIGS. 19-21. In the latter, the grounding terminal50 will be seen to have a generally rectangular base 188 having tworectangular holes 190 punched therein on opposite sides of the centerline 192 and longitudinally offset. Four shear tabs 194 arranged inrespective pairs about the holes 190 are partially struck upwardly fromthe surface of the base 188 to provide confronting right angle or sharpedges 196 spaced in pairs on opposite sides of the holes 190 and raisedfrom the base 188.

The grounding terminal 50 further is provided with an upstanding flange198 spaced slightly in from one edge of the base at 188 (the base isrectangular) leaving an edge opening notch 200 adjacent one corner ofthe base. The tines 52 are formed integrally with this flange and areseparated by a notch 202 having elongated straight edges 204 to engagethe common ground wire 54. As will be apparent, the base 188 and most ofthe flange 198 are disposed beneath the top wall 118 of the cap portion108 with only the tines 52 and a minor portion of the flange 198extending above the top wall.

All of the parts of the present transient voltage protector have nowbeen described. Interfitting of the parts is highly efficient. Thebottom ends of the terminals 42 rest on the bottom wall of the base ormale portion 56, being slightly larger than the apertures 62 in thebottom wall. The upward position of the terminals is determined in partby gravity and is limited by the fact that the offsets 176 abut theunderside of the top wall 124 of the plateau portion of the cap portion.From the foregoing the mid portions of the terminals are positioned justabove the depending base portion 58 with the offset portion 158 lyingjust into the plateau portion so that the terminals 46 may readily lieon top of the offset portions 158 of the two adjacent terminals andagainst the wire mounting section 180, being held tightly by the wiremounting ears 162.

At the same time the two zener diodes 44 are supported by the circularbottom wall or floor portions 86 and 100 with the diode terminals 46extending through the relieved arcuate portions 88 and 102 thereof.These terminals tend to limit the upward position of the diodes, and apositive upward limitation is applied by the leads 48 abutting theunderside of the top wall of the cover 110 of the female or cap portion108. The grounding terminal 50 is positioned by bottoming on the tops ofthe zener diodes 44 with the spaced tines 52 extending upwardly and outof the housing, similar to the upper ends of the terminals 42.

The raising and offsetting of the portion of the housing carrying thezener diodes provides clearance adjacent the 66-M block, as is necessarydue to the small size of the latter.

The specific example of the invention as herein shown and described isfor illustrative purposes only. Various changes in structure will nodoubt occur to those skilled in the art and will be understood asforming a part of the present invention insofar as they fall within thespirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:
 1. A transient voltage protectorfor telephone circuits and the like comprising an insulating plastichousing having a lower portion and an upper portion, at least oneterminal in said lower portion and each of said at least one terminalhaving a female connector thereon disposed within said housing, saidhousing having an aperture therein respectfully aligned with each ofsaid female connectors for admitting a male terminal such as on atelephone connector, voltage limiting means in said upper housingportion, means connecting said voltage limiting means to one of said atleast one terminal, a grounding terminal in said upper housing portion,means connecting said voltage limiting means to said grounding terminal,an opening in said upper housing portion adjacent said groundingterminal, and a connector on said grounding terminal extending throughsaid opening and out of said housing.
 2. A transient voltage protectoras set forth in claim 1 wherein the grounding terminal connectorcomprises a pair of spaced tines adapted to receive a ground wirebetween them.
 3. A transient voltage protector as set forth in claim 1wherein said voltage limiting means has a wire terminal, wherein saidgrounding terminal has a hole and adjacent shear tabs receiving saidwire terminal.
 4. A transient voltage protector as set forth in claim 2wherein said voltage limiting means has a wire terminal, wherein saidgrounding terminal has a hole and adjacent shear tabs receiving saidwire terminal.
 5. A transient voltage protector as set forth in claim 1wherein a voltage limiting means comprises two voltage limiting deviceseach having a wire terminal, and wherein said grounding terminal has twoholes and adjacent shear tabs respectively receiving said wireterminals.
 6. A transient voltage protector as set forth in claim 5wherein said grounding terminal connector comprises a pair of spacedtines adapted to receive a ground wire between them.
 7. A transientvoltage protector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said voltage limitingmeans has at least one terminal wire extending therefrom, and whereineach of said at least one terminal has an intermediate position, a pairof angularly disposed surfaces and a tab adapted to grip such a terminalwire and at least one of said at least one terminal gripping saidterminal wire between said tab and said angularly disposed surfaces. 8.A transient voltage protector as set forth in claim 7 wherein saidangularly disposed surfaces are substantially at right angles to oneanother, said tab lying at right angles to said surfaces and having awire engaging edge at an acute angle and adjacent one of said surfacesand forming a pocket with said surfaces.
 9. A transient voltageprotector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said voltage limiting meanshas a cylindrical shape and wherein said upper housing portion has acavity shaped as at a least a part of a cylinder for receiving saidcylindrical voltage limiting means.
 10. A transient voltage protector asset forth in claim 9 wherein said voltage limiting means comprises apair of voltage limiting devices and wherein said upper housing portionhas two edge opening cavities which face in opposite directions and eachshaped as at least a portion of a cylinder for respectively receivingsaid pair of voltage limiting devices.